10 Best Games Like ISLANDERS: New Shores

Here’s your chance to build the city of your dreams on an idyllic island. There are no limits to the number of cities you can build. The islands, too, are diverse. You also have options like color variations, different building structures, and more. ISLANDERS: New Shores is the follow-up to ISLANDERS, a tranquil city-builder that champions cozy vibes above all else. Its islands are colorful and set against the backdrop of stunning visuals and relaxing music. With the upcoming game nearing its summer 2025 launch, you might want to keep busy with the best games like ISLANDERS: New Shores below.

10. Rise of Industry

Rather than build cities, Rise of Industry charges you to build complex production lines. It’s the early 20th century when the Industrialization Age is booming. So, you can challenge yourself to set up the production chains you’ve always dreamed of running.

It’ll definitely grow more challenging as the blueprints spread wider and become more intricate. What’s more? You’ll get unexpected events from time to time that, if unmanaged, could lead to an industry-wide collapse. 

9. Cloud Gardens

Isn’t it every climate activist’s dream to convert wastelands into thriving forests? Cloud Gardens is all about the restoration of abandoned wastelands. Using plants, you’ll revive destroyed land and grow vibrant forests.

From previously urban areas, now decaying, to unchartered landscapes, you’ll plant seeds that bloom into beautiful dioramas. Ultimately, you’ll repurpose hundreds of discarded objects, transforming them into unique structures that bloom nature.

8. Townscaper

Townscaper is perhaps the closest to ISLANDERS: New Shores. It’s also about building quant towns with curvy streets on islands. You can make the towns as big or expansive as you want. They can be tiny hamlets, sky-high cathedrals, or megacities with skyscrapers.

However, it all starts with one block after another. Thanks to sandbox gameplay, you have leeway in how you wish to proceed, choosing different colors and setting up bridges, stairways, backyards, and more.

7. Imagine Earth

There are a lot of mistakes we’ve already made. However, Imagine Earth might give you a chance to experiment on a different trajectory of events. It’s a global city-builder, stretching planetwide. You’ll be faced with tough challenges, including solving climate crises.

Yet there are practical solutions you can experiment like researching renewable energy sources. Can you build and sustain a constant supply through your production chains? Will your infrastructure hold against the growing supply and demand? 

6. Mini Metro

One of the most complex infrastructures is subways. But Mini Metro starts easy. It gives you a growing city for which to set up a subway. Over time, though, the city gains new residents and more businesses. The demand for more complex subway systems rises, and you need to allocate the resources for them and ensure the world keeps moving.

5. Hidden Folks

A little out-of-the-box, Hidden Folks fits perfectly into the best games like ISLANDERS: New Shores. It’s black and white, hand-drawn to depict miniature landscapes. Wanna guess what the goal is? It’s to find over 300 hidden folks.

Thanks to the map being extremely interactive, you can pretty much poke at most of what you see. You can unfurl tent flaps, cut down bushes, and open and slam doors, among more comical moves.

You can even poke crocodiles, so long as you uncover where the hidden folks are hiding. If you reach a dead-end, don’t worry. There’s a hint system that helps you clear the level and move on to the next area.

4. Slipways

A space grand strategy game can often be too expansive that it becomes cumbersome. But Slipways manages to bottle major features in under 60 minutes of playtime. By uniting several planets, you can build trading ecosystems.

You can research advanced technologies that apply across your empire. Be careful that you choose industries that thrive and support one another. Ultimately, you want your colony to evolve over time. You want your trade routes to become more profitable.

In the long term, you want a constant supply of resources via production chains and an efficient trade system that keeps your income at an optimum level.

3. Cities: Skylines II

Cities: Skylines II is like the more complex version of ISLANDERS: New Shores. It’s practically building and sustaining a city as big as New York. Starting with a few buildings, you’ll set up interconnected roads and communication lines.

Your policies will also come in handy to maintain peace and order. Every aspect that keeps a city on its feet will be in your hands. Even keeping your residents happy will be part of the job, whether that’s providing good workflow or recreational sites.

While your playthrough will soon become intense and demanding, it’ll all feel satisfying to pull off in the end.

2. Morphblade

Morphblade may not be your typical go-to, as the other best games like ISLANDERS: New Shores, are on this list. But the gameplay is quite interesting enough for curious minds to check out. Every level has a grid that you slice, smash, and burst waves of nasty red bugs.

But the twist is that every new tile you move to changes your weapon. You can have a Blades hex that slices the bugs on either side of your current position or an Arrow that kills two enemies in a row. It’s all simple enough to grasp after a few plays and can become quite a relaxing venture to pass your spare time.

1. Dorfromantik

With just tiles, you’ll build a sprawling village landscape. It’s all so relaxing, with puzzle-solving elements to the gameplay. If you enjoy designing beautiful landscapes, Dorfromantik is the game for you. The landscapes vary widely, as do the tiles you can place on the map.

Plus, it can be enjoyed by multiple players. There’s a high score to chase. So, make sure to carefully plan and strategize your tile placement. Overall, it’s a beautiful game with peaceful landscapes and diverse biomes.

Your cities are ever-growing, adding forests, water bodies, and villages, with rewards based on how functional the end result is. That is why Dorfromantik tops our list of best games like ISLANDERS: New Shores.